This is a picture from when we were walking in the old city and walking passed all the shops. From this one the smell was super strong, almost like bath and body works, but this is a pyramid of Spices!!! Isn't that so cool!
This is the BYU Jerusalem Center. I live on the 4th floor with a bunch of other people. It is a wonderful place!
It has been crazy fun and busy the last few days. We finally got to go out into the city and explore a bunch. I am feeling a lot more comfortable with the city and getting around. Now that I have been around the block a few times I am getting to know street names and how to get to the main sites and which gates to enter and which to not(we arn't supposed to go into the muslim quarter to the town because if there is a possiblity of something happening then that is probably where it would be).
Yesterday, it was the Sabbath, and yes we do have it on Saturday!! It was amazing to just sit in church, partaking the sacrament, which is pita bread, and look out across Jerusalem and realize this is the city where Jesus walked, talked, and lived. Also singing songs about the atonement and His life when your here is very powerful. I feel so blessed to be here and just experience it all first hand.
After church we went to Orson Hyde's park on the mount of olives and read the dedicatory prayer, which was offered there. In his prayer he prayed that Jerusalem could be a city of peace and a place where the Jews could gather. It was nice to be sitting right there and read the prayer that was offered over 150 years ago.
After Orson Hyde's park we continued down the hill, which I totally misunderstood before coming here. This place is so hilly!!!! We are always either walking up or down, never flat. At the bottom of the mount of olives there was a little locked garden of olive trees that we wanted to go into and just think about christ. As we were standing across the street
from it one of the men said, "Are you the mormons?" we said yes and he said, "Well I only let the mormons in here. Please follow me." and he pulled out old church like key and opened the gardens gate to let us in. We spent about an hour in the little grove of trees just pondering about the atonement and Christ's life. It was so wonderful to be there, where he had bled from every pore for me, you, and all of us. It was a great to spend some time in gethsemane and ponder upon the things of God. I want to continue going there on the Sabbath, what better way to spend the sabbath but in Gethsemane!!
Today, sunday, we had a total free day to go out and about the city of Jerusalem. We went to the Dome of the Rock, Wailing Wall(which are remains of Solomon's temple), and walked around the old jersalem city walls. It was hilarious to see how all of these religions are squished in the same exact place. We went to metal detectors for the wailing wall, then like 15 feet away were some more for the Dome fo the Rock. We couldn't stay on the Dome of the Rock for two long because they were going to have another prayer or something and they made everyone leave. For the time that we were there it was great. It is such a pretty place.
We also went to the Church of the Holy Seplecure which is the Christian capital for tourism. Theoretically, Technically, or just generally Christ was crucified there, Buried there, and the blood of Christ when he died dripped through the rocks onto Ad
am's bones and redeemed adam from the fall all occured there. They have a monopoly on it all and that is why there are a million churches there. They fight so much on what time to open, or to close, and everything else there is to fight over that they have a 2 muslim families take the keys and make sure it is mananaged correctly. It is hilarious. This whole city is hilarious but it is a mess. Jews in one quarter, christians in another corner, muslim in the other corner, and armenians in the last(I still haven't really figured out why they are there, but whatever). The city of Jerusalem is split up into 4 different sections that make it chaotic at times.
It has been a long and hot day!! I sweated all day. I can't believe it is january and so hot. My feet are tired, my legs hurt, and now I've got lots of reading and homework to do. I has been a great day.
Yesterday, it was the Sabbath, and yes we do have it on Saturday!! It was amazing to just sit in church, partaking the sacrament, which is pita bread, and look out across Jerusalem and realize this is the city where Jesus walked, talked, and lived. Also singing songs about the atonement and His life when your here is very powerful. I feel so blessed to be here and just experience it all first hand.
After church we went to Orson Hyde's park on the mount of olives and read the dedicatory prayer, which was offered there. In his prayer he prayed that Jerusalem could be a city of peace and a place where the Jews could gather. It was nice to be sitting right there and read the prayer that was offered over 150 years ago.
After Orson Hyde's park we continued down the hill, which I totally misunderstood before coming here. This place is so hilly!!!! We are always either walking up or down, never flat. At the bottom of the mount of olives there was a little locked garden of olive trees that we wanted to go into and just think about christ. As we were standing across the street
from it one of the men said, "Are you the mormons?" we said yes and he said, "Well I only let the mormons in here. Please follow me." and he pulled out old church like key and opened the gardens gate to let us in. We spent about an hour in the little grove of trees just pondering about the atonement and Christ's life. It was so wonderful to be there, where he had bled from every pore for me, you, and all of us. It was a great to spend some time in gethsemane and ponder upon the things of God. I want to continue going there on the Sabbath, what better way to spend the sabbath but in Gethsemane!!Today, sunday, we had a total free day to go out and about the city of Jerusalem. We went to the Dome of the Rock, Wailing Wall(which are remains of Solomon's temple), and walked around the old jersalem city walls. It was hilarious to see how all of these religions are squished in the same exact place. We went to metal detectors for the wailing wall, then like 15 feet away were some more for the Dome fo the Rock. We couldn't stay on the Dome of the Rock for two long because they were going to have another prayer or something and they made everyone leave. For the time that we were there it was great. It is such a pretty place.
We also went to the Church of the Holy Seplecure which is the Christian capital for tourism. Theoretically, Technically, or just generally Christ was crucified there, Buried there, and the blood of Christ when he died dripped through the rocks onto Ad
am's bones and redeemed adam from the fall all occured there. They have a monopoly on it all and that is why there are a million churches there. They fight so much on what time to open, or to close, and everything else there is to fight over that they have a 2 muslim families take the keys and make sure it is mananaged correctly. It is hilarious. This whole city is hilarious but it is a mess. Jews in one quarter, christians in another corner, muslim in the other corner, and armenians in the last(I still haven't really figured out why they are there, but whatever). The city of Jerusalem is split up into 4 different sections that make it chaotic at times.It has been a long and hot day!! I sweated all day. I can't believe it is january and so hot. My feet are tired, my legs hurt, and now I've got lots of reading and homework to do. I has been a great day.
Here are some pictures! Sorry the Garden of Gethsemane is Sideways. I'll get a better one. Just remember this is my first blog.
This is some of our group that went to the Dome of the Rock!
This next picture is one of the stores that we passed. It reminded me of the Living Scriptures when they go to buy clothes. Isn't it a cool store? I thought so. 
Wow! The Garden of Gethsemane . . . sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that I found your blog! I am glad you got there safe. I will only say I am jealous 100 more times. Yeah, Jerusalem is one hilly area. So when Nephi said we are going UP to Jerusalem, he wasn't kidding. Did you like the sabbath day rolls? So yummy! Have fun and be careful!
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